The Animal Welfare Act is monitored by unannounced on-site inspections by employees of which agency?

• A. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
• B. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• C. National Institutes of Health (NIH)
• D. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Answer: (C)

Unannounced on-site inspections of facilities using animals in research are conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, specifically the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). APHIS is responsible for enforcing the Animal Welfare Act, which means inspectors visit facilities without prior notice to check that animals are housed, cared for, and treated according to the Act’s standards. This direct, on-the-ground oversight helps ensure welfare across researchers and institutions.

Other agencies handle different regulatory areas. The NIH oversees compliance with the Public Health Service policy for institutions receiving federal funding (often through OLAW and IACUC processes), but it does not conduct AWA inspections. The EPA and FDA regulate other aspects related to animals in specific contexts (environmental/pesticide rules or drug/biologic product approvals), but they are not the agencies that perform unannounced AWA inspections.